If they had set a red or yellow one out front, with those shiny wheels, the answer would have been no. But this one, with those retro wheels, caught my eye, enough to pull over for a quick looksie. Sure evokes the general feel of the old Beetle infinitely better than the old New Beetle. Let’s compare it to the original too.

The profile is much better, although obviously not really the same. But from a distance, the cues were there, and the chrome strip on the running board is good, along with the wheels.

The front, not so much so. Unless Super Beetles were your thing, and you want a Super Duper Beetle. I know; with a front engine, somehow evoking the old Beetle’s graceful nose would be tough. Too tough?

Probably. But some folks like the Super Beetle better anyway.

The back end is pretty bland. Even the New Beetle has it beat(led). Oh well.

The New Beatle did have round tail lights, at least.

Now that was a good move. Wheels are important, and these base (but alloy) wheels work very well indeed.

The young salesperson asked if sitting in it reminded me of an old Beetle? Ever sat in one, kid?

Although it is a cheerful enough place, it doesn’t grab me as much as the Fiat 500’s dash and wheel. It was worth the time, but I need to run. Sorry, no test drive today.

I was really excited about those Camaro wheels until I saw them in person. The flimsy gray plastic trim ring and laughably oversized wheel (granted, it’s in proportion with the laughably oversized car) killed it for me.

This was back in ’09 at the local auto show, where Chevy inexplicably chose to show off the base LS model. It felt like cheap crap, which has colored my impressions about the Camaro ever since. That said, the loaded SS my friend bought a few months later was much nicer – and freakishly fast. Then again, the Mustang 5.0 I bought a year later was even nicer and faster (but still not as nice and well put-together as the professional reviewers lead you to believe).

Oddly enough, both of us sold our cars within a few weeks of each other this fall and we both drive cheap decade-old econoboxes with plastic hubcaps that look way worse than the Camaro’s cheap “rally” wheels. Don’t miss them, either. Healthy bank accounts > cool cars.

I loving those base wheels, wonder how many options you can add in the powertrain department before being forced to upgrade? Man I can’t even find those wheels on VW America’s site, just checked. Unless you have to take the automatic to get them… sigh.

Yep, the retro wheels are a nice touch… now, if only they could put large, retro Germanic, blue-lettered VDO gauges on the dash! And cloth seats! And offer AWD! …Oops, that would be Subaru, wouldn’t it?

This is off topic, but I wanted to share this picture with you guys. I remember a while back that Paul wrote a piece about towing capacities (or lack thereof) of cars. Some were rated less here in the US than there European counterparts. Here is how passenger cars should be used for towing. http://i.imgur.com/4pXVa.jpg

I checked out a few of these at the dealer in Iowa City with my cousin’s husband, and a red one in the showroom had these wheels. I had read that these retro wheels were going to be for Europe only, so I’m glad they included them on USA Beetles. I also really like the body-colored dashboard and door caps. And Dan, these remind me of a Porsche 356 too, so you’re not alone! It also reminds me of a first-generation Audi TT.

I love that colored dashboard too. The painted steel dash is one of the first things I think of about the old VW. Not so good to smack your noggin on, that must be why they all vanished. Apparently this is a shiny plastic cover over the impact-absorbing foam? Looks great!

For you vintage VW fans, here’s a pic of my cousin’s husband’s 1956 VW. He got it from a Porsche/VW collector in West Point, who will also be restoring it. As you can see it has a long way to go, but it will be very sharp when done. He is leaning toward having it painted coral red, a 1950s VW color.

I actually do like this Noo Beetle. The Old-New Beetle looked somewhat contrived; too cute (well, that’s what a retro is, I guess). But this one looks more like serious road equipment.

Yeah, the front does evoke the Super Beetle; and yeah, count me in with those who favored it. Performance and style both.

One interesting touch, that I don’t like so much…the door trailing edge and B-pillar has a slant on it that is evocative of one set of prototype VWs, but which were straightened out on the final release. Having seen those in photographs…no back windows, enormous engine access panels with thumb-screws on the back, and contrived passenger-cabin shapes, along with suicide doors…I’d say der KdF-wagen looked a lot better in final form.

Otherwise…it looks like a winner. Depending, of course, on price and reliability.

Put me on the list of those who prefer the Super Beetle. I like all Beetles, but really, a flat windscreen? It didn’t quite work with the curvature of the rest. But the Super Beetle’s curved screen, now that was getting it right.

Love the retro-wheel options on the new New Beetle, they add a ton of character. Interior leaves me a bit cold though – too bland. But overall, I’d buy one, and I’d never say that about the old New Beetle!

Ah. The Sooper Beetle only got the curved glass in 1973…the 1971 and ’72 models were identical to the standard Beetle from the cowl back.

My 1972 had the flat glass, and in fact I did like it. Easier to clean. Unusual. Wipers worked on it, better.

The flat glass harkens from the time the body was originally designed – 1939. Curved glass only appeared on American cars as they figured out how to shape tempered glass, reliably in a mass-production setting. Some European companies were right on it, including VW with their Type 3…but the Beetle kept the flat windshield up until the plug was pulled.

The rounded windshield in the Super was probably to increase sales…didn’t work. The Super Beetle, later Le Grande Bug, was discontinued in 1975.

Having seen the photos here, I have to agree, the current new New Beetle looks a lot like the originals from the side profile than anything else, now to move the license place from the rear bumper to the rear liftgate, ala Fiat 500 or MINI and do an updated license plate light, it’d be more of a dead ringer for the original from the back.

I actually like the dash though it’s not as retro as the previous dash in layout but love the body colored panel in any event. I think Fiat does the retro dash better than this in terms of layout as it’s more like the original’s in most respects.

Others might have more utility and/or zoom, but they don’t have ‘the look’. In that regard, the NuNu Beetle wins, hands down. VW has done a masterful job of updating/improving the bug’s styling. I have no doubt that there will be more than a few who buy one simply because it vaguely looks like a Porsche.

On top of all that, the retro steelies are a brilliant move and icing on the cake. VW may have rekindled the Beetle spirit, once again.

Maybe the NuNu Beetle with good-looking steelies will convince Chrysler to come up with a NuNu Challenger (and create a set of retro steelies and dog-dish hubcaps, as well). Even better, though, would be a retro 2-door Charger with steelies.

Dodge had the coolest looking dog-dishes of anyone. Of course, to bring back those hubcaps correctly would also mean they’d have to bring back the Fratzog, too, since it was used in the center of the hubcap. I wish Chrysler would have brought back the Fratzog as the Dodge car emblem when they recently reserved the Ram name for the trucks.

I sat in the first new2 Beetle I found, but I didn’t like it. Maybe I’ll feel differently when I see one without that gloomy black headliner. It lacked the old NB’s cheerful character, which, frankly, is something I benefit from in this world of strife and woe. But then again, I had little use for the original Beetle, either. What I do like are simple shapes, without superflous ornamentation, and big windows, since I often drive past actual scenery.

But again, first impressions are suspect. When the NB arrived in ’98, I couldn’t accept that distant windshield. It reminded me of persistent dreams of driving a car from the back seat. Now, after driving one four years, every other car’s windshield seems oddly close. There’s a hidden benefit to the New Beetle’s odd proportions. The faraway windshield makes the inevitable rock and sand pitting seem less distracting. I believe it’s because the windshield is a foot closer to my eyes’ distant focus, so the windshield damage isn’t pulling my eyes into close focus, and back again, all the time.

“Now, after driving one four years, every other car’s windshield seems oddly close.”

You should try driving an early ’60s Old Beetle! I drove a ’64 for six years (in Atlanta traffic), and it took quite a while to get used to having the glass 6″ from my face (or so it seemed). Currently restoring a ’63 and ’62 sunroof with my son, and if I can option it right, I think a TDI Neue Beetle may yet succeed my current Y2K Bug (’00 TDI NB).

The newest bug looks better with the flatter windshield and roof. But they should have kept the round tail lights. All windows should have rounded corners, which made the original old bug cute !! Another thing they need to improve is reliability, more like the VW Golf. Consumer Reports says the newest bug is one of the least reliable cars on the road. That’s mostly what sold the original old bugs, reliability.